These are the best MacBooks for IT students you can buy right now.
If you’re an Information Technology student (or will soon become one!), it’s vital to remember that not all MacBooks are created equal. While having the best laptop or tablet of some description has become a practical necessity for every student worldwide, many learners can get by on a cheap, low-powered MacBook capable of word processing and web browsing. If you’re in a IT field, that likely isn’t the case.
Just like MacBooks for computer science students, the best MacBooks for Information Technology students should be powerful enough to handle the computationally intensive coursework that such studies require, while still being light and efficient enough to carry through a day of classes without running out of juice on you mid-lecture.
Fortunately, we’ve tested many student MacBooks over the years, so we know which will suit different disciplines without breaking the bank. We gathered the best MacBooks for Information Technology students here; some are great value, while some cost a bit more but tout a powerful graphics card.
What makes a MacBook for Information Technology students special?
A MacBook great for IT students has a few areas that need to be a focus that might not matter as much for a MacBook designed for journalism or business students, for example.
IT students’ MacBooks must operate high-powered applications in many windows. This could be a CAD window, a large mapping service, and a large Excel sheet, all open and running simultaneously.
Because of this, the demand for high-end graphics cards, powerful processors, and increased RAM are higher than in the average MacBook. Where most MacBooks focus on a lightweight frame, long battery life or other specifications, these MacBooks need to be able to perform advanced operations with ease even if it means that they don’t have all day battery life.
How did we choose the best MacBooks for Information Technology students?
To choose among the best MacBooks for.IT students, we started with extensive personal experience: All the MacBooks here have been road-tested and reviewed in some way. Then, we added in-depth research by cross-referencing third-party reviews with specs sheets, first-party benchmarks and user experiences. Rest assured, we know the ins and outs of all these machines, so you can choose the perfect one for you.
1. Apple MacBook Air (M2, 2022)
Specifications
CPU: Apple M2 with 8-core CPU, 8-core GPU | Display: 13.6-inch, 2,560 x 1,664 pixels, 500 nits | Memory: 8GB | Storage: 256GB | Battery life: Up to 18 hours | Weight: 2.7 pounds (1.24kg) | Dimensions: 11.97 x 8.46 x 0.44 inches | Colors: Silver, Space Gray, Midnight, Starlight
Why it’s The Best MacBook For IT Students
The Apple MacBook Air (M2, 2022) isn’t just one of the best MacBookss Apple has ever made, it’s one of the best MacBooks for IT students. While it might not pack a powerful AI-assisted GPU, Apple’s own silicon represents serious competition in the lightweight laptop space.
Thanks to the revolutionary ARM-based Apple M2 chip – an update from the previous M1 chip – that powers the new MacBook Air, this is a stunning achievement: a thin and light laptop that offers great performance while also offering incredible battery life. During our time with the MacBook Air, the laptop performed incredibly well, whether we were playing around with GarageBand or editing 4K home movies in iMovie.
Easily managing over 11 hours on a single charge, this is a laptop efficient enough to carry through a day of classes without running out of juice on you mid-lecture. Its screen is gorgeous, and the new-and-improved keyboard means you can happily carry out IT tasks for hours.
Pros:
- 11-hour battery life
- Lightweight for carrying
- Silent to use
Cons:
- Hardware refresh rather than new design
2. MacBook Air (M1, 2020)
Specifications
CPU: Apple M1 with 8-core CPU, 7-core GPU | Display: 13.3-inch, 2,560 x 1,664 pixels, 400 nits | Memory: 8/16GB | Storage: 256GB | Battery life: Up to 18 hours | Weight: 2.7 pounds (1.24kg) | Dimensions: 11.97 x 8.36 x 0.16-0.63 inches | Colors: Silver, Space Gray, Gold
Why it’s The Best MacBook For IT Students
The M2 model might now top our list, but the M1 MacBook Air is still a force to be reckoned with – and it’s better value than the newer model now, too. Switching over from Intel processors to Apple’s own silicon was a bold move that paid off, providing snappy performance and excellent battery life too.
Apple’s best IT student MacBook takes everything that made the M1 model such an improvement over the Intel models up a notch. Performance is snappy even when we used it to do some 4K video editing, although the gorgeous screen is just a little bit smaller at 13.3 inches – as well as 100 nits dimmer – than the upgraded 13.6-inch display of the newer M2 model. It’s also a little heavier, but still undeniably an impressively thin and lightweight laptop given the performance on offer.
Though the M2 Air beats it for weight and size, it is still an exceptionally thin and light machine. With its ideal size and weight, you can quickly bring M1 MacBook Air to the lecture hall, library, practice office, or anywhere you want.
As a fun bonus, this MacBook Air actually has a wider range of color options than its newer M2 sibling. For the IT students who want a MacBook but can’t quite spring for the high price of the 2022 Air, this laptop will serve them well, potentially even beyond college.
Pros:
- Great price
- Fast and effective
- Thin and lightweight
Cons:
- Only two USB-C ports
- Below-par webcam quality
3. Apple MacBook Pro 2021 (16-inch)
Specifications
CPU: Apple M1 Pro with 10 core CPU, 16-core GPU| Display: 16.2-inch, 3,456 x 2,234 pixels, 1,000 nits, 1,600 nits peak for HDR | Memory: 8GB | Storage: 512GB | Battery life: Up to 21 hours | Weight: 4.7 pounds (2.1kg) | Dimensions: 14.01 x 9.77 x 0.6 inches | Colors: Silver, Space Gray
Why it’s The Best MacBook For IT Students
Studying IT, you will often have to deal with algorithms and complex software. To work at the highest level, your laptop needs to have a powerful enough processor. 16-inch MacBook Pro is such a laptop model.
The 16-inch MacBook is a beast thanks to the M1 Max chip, which pushes graphics performance on the Mac to a whole new level. On top of that, its amazing redesign helps improve its display (everyone will get over the notch, trust us), with thinner bezels than ever. That screen, too, is better than ever, with mini-LED technology and improved picture quality thanks to fantastic contrast and a 120Hz refresh rate for excellent smoothness.
And that’s just the start of the story. The 2021 MacBook Pros see a realignment on ports for MacBooks, moving back from the “USB-C or bust” situation of the past 5 years. Now, you’ve got HDMI-out for connecting to displays and an SD memory reader for pros with real cameras. Apple’s basically put the “pro” back in MacBook Pro. Oh, and that Touch Bar? The little OLED strip of a touch screen? It’s been ripped out, likely because it never got to the point where the simple physical function keys (F1-F12) would be better.
Pros:
- Stunning display
- Outstanding performance
- Apple’s design at its best
Cons:
- Pricey
- No Touch Bar
4. Apple MacBook Pro 13-Inch With M2 Processor
Specifications
CPU: Apple M2 with 8 core CPU, 10-core GPU | Display: 13.3-inch, 2,560 x 1,600 pixels, 500 nits | Memory: 8GB | Storage: 256GB | Battery life: Up to 20 hours | Weight: 3.0 pounds (1.4kg) | Dimensions: 11.97 x 8.36 x 0.61 inches (30.41 x 21.24 x 1.56 cm) | Colors: Silver, Space Gray
Why it’s The Best MacBook For IT Students
Apple MacBook Pro 13-Inch With M2 Processor is one of the few MacBooks that can help you handle the heaviest tasks, including multitasking.
This 2022 laptop is identical to 2021 13-inch MacBook Pro, so the design, though good, is no longer cutting-edge. It’s identical save for one important feature: The processor. It has a more powerful version of the M2 chip than the one that comes as standard in the new MacBook Air (it has a GPU with 10 cores, where the default Air M2 has seven cores), which improves the performance. Like the other Pro models, a cooling fan means it can run at pace and for longer than the Air.
It is the only MacBook with the Touch Bar, which is a controversial addition for some, but also has many admirers. Essentially, it replaces the row of function keys with a thin touchscreen, whose functions change according to context: Email address suggestions in Mail, previous web pages in Safari and so on. It’s a very effective system but not very widely supported by developers.
Like the Air (old and new), there are two USB-C ports but, this being the older design, there’s no MagSafe on board. Audio sounds good here thanks to a combination of upward-facing grill speakers and Spatial Audio compatibility. The display is not as good as the other Pro laptops but a deal-breaker for some is that there’s no cut-out at the top to house the webcam which sits in the wider bezel. That’s a 720p model, by the way, so not the best.
Pros:
- Searingly fast performance
- Long battery life
- No notch in display
Cons:
- Pricier than the Air
- Older design
- No MagSafe
5. Apple MacBook Pro 14-Inch
Specifications
CPU: Apple M1 Pro with 10 core CPU, 16-core GPU| Display: 16.2-inch, 3,024 x 1,964 pixels, 1,000 nits, 1,600 nits peak for HDR | Memory: 8GB | Storage: 512GB | Battery life: Up to 17 hours | Weight: 3.5 pounds (1.6kg) | Dimensions: 12.31 x 8.71 x 0.61 inches (31.26 x 22.12 x 1.55 cm) | Colors: Silver, Space Gray
Why it’s The Best MacBook For IT Students
The workload that a IT student needs to handle can’t be challenging for the Apple MacBook Pro 14-Inch.
If you don’t need the extra real estate of the 16-inch Pro or simply can’t run to the price of that machine, this is an excellent MacBook for IT student. It has the same outstanding high-contrast, super-bright display as its bigger sibling. The miniLED backlighting makes watching a movie a joy, and the speakers ensure it sounds good too. On the other hand, the 14.2-inch size makes this laptop that bit more manageable. It also has the customization options that only this and the bigger Pro do: Storage up to 8TB and RAM up to 64GB.
Performance matches that of the 16-incher, which features the most potent Apple-built chips yet in a MacBook. Choose from the fast M1 Pro and even faster M1 Max. Oh, and it has MagSafe (including an attractive braided cable), plus three USB-C connectors, an HDMI port and an SDXC card slot. Those last two are exclusive to the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro. Battery life here is up to 17 hours—way more than the M1 MacBook Air’s 12 hours but shorter than the others in the range. And, of course, there’s that handsome new look with a bigger Apple logo on the lid and the words “MacBook Pro” stenciled on the base.
Pros:
- Blazing speed
- Latest design
- MagSafe
Cons:
- Notch in display
- Battery life not Apple’s best
6. MacBook Pro 13-inch (M1, 2020)
SPECIFICATIONS
CPU: Apple M1 chip with 8-core CPU Graphics: Integrated 8-core GPU RAM: 8GB – 16GB unified memory Display: 13.3-inch 2560 x 1600 LED-backlit Retina display Storage: 256GB – 2TB SSD
Why it’s the best MacBook for IT students
Don’t knock off the MacBook Pro 13-inch (M1, 2020)’s integrated graphics card. It might not be a discrete GPU, but it sure beats budget and lower mid-range mobile GPUs in graphical prowess and obliterates Intel’s UHD integrated graphics. Thanks to Apple’s groundbreaking M1 chip, the new MacBook Pro 13-inch delivers excellent performance and exceptional battery life.
Its performance is so impressive that it can easily handle coding tasks which is great news for IT students. And it’s not just a little bump in power over the model it replaced; when we tested it, it blew its Intel-based predecessor out of the water with an almost 70% increase in multi-core tests. It also lasted five hours longer in our battery tests as well.
But performance isn’t everything. It’s also a comfortable laptop to use; its keyboard is great, something that needed correcting in older models of the MacBook Pro. Like most of the smaller MacBook Pros, it’s extremely portable. So, if you’re looking for a powerful laptop that keeps things small and lightweight, this is the best information technology student MacBook money can buy.
Pros:
- Great performance
- Impressively long battery life
- Magic Keyboard feels great
Cons:
- Design remains the same
- Limited port selection
How we test the best MacBookss for IT students
To find the best MacBook for IT student we run every machine through a rigorous suite of benchmarks and real-world tests to gauge how it will perform during everyday use.
We measure the average brightness and color quality of each laptop’s display using our in-house light meter and colorimeter. For general performance, we run our machines through tests that include Geekbench 5 (CPU performance), as well as various 3DMark tests to measure graphics capabilities. We also run a file transfer test to measure how fast a machine’s hard drive is, and a custom battery test that has the machine browse the internet over Wi-Fi until it runs out of juice.
Plus, we run the graphics benchmark test in Sid Meier’s Civilization VI: Gathering Storm to get a sense of how well a laptop can handle basic games.